Russians in the Market for Israeli Drones

If Russian press reports are to be believed, then Moscow's military is taking a serious look at buying Israeli-made drones.

In a recent meeting with the Russian parliament's defense committee, General Nikolai Makarov, chief of Russia's general staff, reportedly told parliamentarians the Russian military would acquire Israeli drones -- in the very near future. Mikhail Musatov, a member of the committee, quoted Makaraov as saying: "We'll buy them from Israel. The general staff has decided that, since we don't have pilotless aircraft of our own, we'll buy them in Israel in the next two or three years."

This would be an unusual turn of events. Israel has sold arms to Russia in only a few limited instances. And as Ha'aretz notes, Russia supplies weaponry to Israel's arch-enemies, Syria and Iran:

*In the past, the two countries have signed several agreements for military equipment but mostly on a small scale, such as bullet-proof vests. In the biggest of these deals, Israel Aerospace
Industries acquired four Ilyushin planes from Moscow to be fit with the
Falcon early-warning system sold to India. Security relations between the two countries have been characterized largely by complaints from Israel that Russia is supplying an aerial defense system and anti-tank missiles to Iran, as well as missiles to Syria, both of which eventually reached Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. *

Russia's interest in robotic aircraft stems in part from the recent war with Georgia. As DANGER ROOM readers know, Russia and its allies in the separatist republic of Abkhazia shot down at least two Georgian drones in the run-up to war this summer (click here for video of a Russian MiG-29 taking down a Georgian reconnaissance drone). Ironically, the Georgian drones were reported to be Israeli-made Hermes 450s.

Despite inflicting a painful defeat on Georgia, the Russian military is undergoing something of an overhaul. Russian Minister of Defense Anatoly Serdyukov has ordered sweeping changes, including equipment modernization and a move away from conscription. As reported in Jane's Defence Weekly (subscription only), Russia's military campaign against Georgia laid bare some serious problems, including lack of friendly-force tracking, low-resolution surveillance equipment and piss-poor communications.

[PHOTO: Wikimedia]

ALSO:

• Israel Freezes out Georgia on Arms
• Russia Claims Georgia in Arms Build Up
• Drone Wars, Part II: Abkhaz Claim Another Shootdown
• Video: Russian MiG Shoots Georgian Drone
• Drone Shoot-Down Sparks Worldwide Spat